Parliament in the playroom by ALOE Author:Charlotte Maria Tucker Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. THE FIRST DEBATE. " You little savage, there's no use kicking up a row, you deserve a good thrashing, and I mean to give it you soundly !" ... more »These were the first words which greeted the ears of the sisters as they approached the House of Parliament—words accompanied by a singular sound, between a yell, a snarl, and scream, in which it was not difficult to recognise the voice of Master Jacky. Cecilia and Margaret quickened their steps, and were speedily in the play-room. There they found Patrick kneeling on the ground, with his face rather flushed, its quiet, good- humoured expression changed to one of determination, as he held down the struggling, kicking, roaring Jacky, while Jessie, with all her flaxen hair in disorder, was crying passionately in the corner. "What's all this? what's all this?" cried Margaret. " Members of Parliament! is this a fit scene for a place like this ?" " I'm only going to give a little wholesome correction to this spoilt pickle," said Patrick, while Jacky renewed his passionate yelling. " Let him go—let him go, Pat, this is dreadfhlly irregular," cried Margaret. "Mamma would never allow you to beat him," said Cecilia. The latter words were the most effective. Patrick, who was not a boy of violent temper, slowly and sternly suffered the little culprit to rise, who retreated into a corner, scowling savagely at his brother. The appearance of Jacky was somewhat ludicrous. His thick sandy hair had been cut in the most strange and irregular fashion; here, a little clump had been snipped off close as newly mown grass—there, hung down a long, straight piece, that had by accident escaped the scissors. His round face was red with struggling, and smeared with crying, and Jacky altogether looked the very reverse of what an h...« less